Adjustable pattern



' Aug. 12, 1941.

H. Es.4 DoNNlNG ADJUSTABLE PATTERN Filed June 30, 1939 INVENTOR ATTORNEY DJOL ndo

Patented Aug. 12, 1941 iJNiTED STATES PATENT OFMQE ADJUSTABLE PATTERN Henry B. Donning,"New Rochelle, N. Y.

Application June 30, 1939, Serial No. 282,050

(Cl. {i3-12) 3 Claims.

This invention relates to garment patterns, and particularly to the provision of patterns having the means for alining associated pattern pieces upon a fabric for the matching of the resulting fabric pieces cut from the patterns to produce neat and finished appearances in the resulting garment, or garment parts; and the object of the invention is to provide predetermined characterized sections, preferably of an irregular contour, on associated garment patterns to facilitate matchingof the fabric pieces cut from associated patterns'by the removal of the characterized section of one pattern piece and marking the same to aline 'it with the fabric from which such pattern piece iscut, and then in placing the removed characterized section of one of the first mentioned pattern pieces upon the associated pattern piece to mark the latter for proper alinement on the fabric from which the outline of the second mentioned pattern piece will be cut; a further object being to arrange the characterized and removable sections on the associated pattern pieces in a definite relationship with respect to one end of the pattern piece to provide proper alinement or matching of the resulting garment pieces, and also in so arranging these sections on the pattern pieces as to not interfere with the variations in length of the garment pieces cut from said patterns; a further object being to provide a novel method of cutting garment pieces from patterns of the character described as more fully hereinafter set forth; and with these and other objects in View, the invention consists in a pattern of the character described which is produced in accordance with the method more fully hereinafter set forth.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the accompanying drawing forms a part, in which the separate parts of my improvement are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of an elongated pattern strip showing the general arrangement of parts of a garment thereon, and illustrating my invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing one end portion of the pattern sheet arranged upon a fabric illustrating the method of marking the removable alinement gage section thereof; and,

Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 2 showing the next adjacent portion of the pattern strip illusj trating the method of marking the adjacent associated pattern from the removable gage 0f th pattern illustrated in Fig. 2. a

To illustrateone adaptation of my .invention` I have shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing diagrammatically, leaving out al1 incidental detail features, an elongated pattern strip upon which is arranged part of the patterns of a garment. This illustration is in accordance with the teachings in a prior application, Ser. No. 240,445, nled November 15, 1938. In other words, inthe present illustration, the invention is applied to a pattern whereinall of the pattern pieces of a complete garment are laid out upon an elongated pattern strip to facilitate the proper cutting of the various pattern pieces from'the fabric,

and to minimize as much as possible the amount of material required in cutting all of thegarment pieces by a close arrangement of the patterns upon the strip.` However, in cutting patterns of the character under consideration, or in Vfact in cutting garment pieces lfrom any type and kind of pattern, it has been difficult to provide a proper matching of the separate garment pieces in associated pieces of one part of a garment, so as to produce a neat and finished appearance. This is especially true in dealing with such fabrics as plaids. It is the purpose of my invention to provide a simple and yet effective means for eliminating these difficulties, thus makingit possible for the dressmaker to cut out associated garment pieces with the assurance of having the stripe of a plaid match at least in one direction on the garment. This will enable the dressmaker to produce neater and more finished effects in the resulting garment.

In Fig. 1 of the drawing Ii! represents an elongated pattern strip, or at least part of a strip of this kind, and on this strip is diagrammatically illustrated partsof the patterns ofa complete garment, which. are designated byk the legends-Sleeve, Center back, Center front -B; C'enterffront -S`-, Shoulder pad, Back neck facing, Side front, Sleevefacing, Panel facing, Placket, Center front skirt, Side front skirt, Center front facing, and Back skirt. A number of the pattern pieces identified as above are provided with sections Il, which in the present illustration are of triangular contour, it being understood, however, that any other desired contour may be provided, preferably of a geometric lay-out, so that no possible confusion could exist inthe laying of the section of one pattern piece upon the section of an associate pattern piece, as will hereinafter more clearly appear.

To illustrate the invention and the method of procedure, I have shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawing, the associated pattern pieces designated by the legend Side front skirt, which will be identied by the reference character I3, and the Back skirt identified by the reference character I2. These pattern pieces I2 and I3 include other markings which are essential for the use thereof in the outlining of a garment. However, to simplify the present illustration and avoid confusion many of these markings are omitted in the illustrations in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawing except the representations I4, Ida, which consist in transverse lines designating the hip lines of the pattern pieces. At I5, I5a, are shown other markings where the patterns may be out in the lengthening or shortening of the pattern pieces in accordance with the teachings in my prior application above referred to. Y

In arranging the gage sections II upon the pattern pieces I2, I3, they are arranged in a definite relationship with respect to the hip lines I 4, Ma, it being understood that the hip lines in question have an identical arrangement on the two associated pattern pieces I2 and ISL In other words, when the two associated pattern pieces or the garment pieces out therefrom are arranged one upon the other, the hip lines III, M0, will register.

In carrying out the method, the pattern strip I0 is laid upon the folded plaid fabric IB which is folded as seen at I 'I. The strip I!) extends longitudinally of the folded fabric as Will be apparent.A `The section II of the pattern piece I2 is then cut out to form the triangular piece Ila shown in the extended position in Fig. 2 of the drawing, and when removed, the pattern piece I 2 is marked by the cross lines I8 to register with the cross lines IS of the plaid of the fabric, after which the removed piece I Ia is again placed into position on the pattern piece I2 and the lines I8 are extended across the piece II a as indicated at Ia in Fig. 2. The gage piece IIa is then arranged in a triangular recess 2i) formed by removing the gage I I of the pattern piece I 3. The gage piece IIa is shown in position in Fig. 3, and

the markings Ia are extended onto the pattern piece I3 asseen at IBI), after which the gage piece IIa is removed, and the sheet Ill is then shifted longitudinally of the fabric I6 to aline the markings Ib with the adjacent cross lines or markings in the plaid of the fabric I6, which, for example, might constitute the markings I3a.

In connection with the foregoing, it will be understood that it is preferred that the respective pattern representations on the sheet I0 be cut one at a time from one end of the sheet so that after the adjustment of the Side front is made as well as the adjustment of the Center front S, after which all of the pattern pieces may be cut out up tothe Shoulder pad, etc., throughout the full length of the elongated pattern strip.

Another method which could be followed would be to cut out each of the pattern representations and then lay each piece upon the fabric following the lay-out of an instruction diagram, alining each pattern piece on the plaid of the fabric before cutting the same.

It will also be understood that the same procedure is followed in cutting out the gage sections II of other associated pattern pieces; that is to say, the gage IIa is only used upon the associated skirt part I3. The other associated garment parts will be correspondingly dealt with. Care will of course be taken to make the necessary adjustment in each pattern piece with respect to lengths before the pattern pieces are cut from the fabric. In laying out the gage sections I I on the pattern pieces, they will be so arranged thereon as to not interfere with the length adjustment portions of the respective patterns. Otherwise, the particular location of these gage sections is immaterial, except that they be identical on the associated parts, so that, for example, in assembling the parts of a skirt, the horizontal lines of a plaid will be in common alinement circumferentially of the skirt, thus producing a neat and finished appearance.

In some instances, it may also be possible to aline garment parts on the longitudinal lines of the plaid, but this as a general procedure cannot be followed or adhered to. However, where it is possible to do so without eifecting a waste of material, or to otherwise disturb the lay-out of patterns on the fabric, this procedure can be followed. In such instances, the longitudinal lines will also be arranged upon the gage sections II and transferred to the associated pattern pieces similar to the lines I8, I8a, and I8b.

It will of course be apparent that the principles of my invention are applicable to patterns of any type and kind for use in conjunction with checked, plaid or other type and kind of characterized cloth, and may be used in connection with designed fabrics of any type and kind. The markings as at I8, I 8a, I 8b, are consistent with the type and kind of characters employed upon the fabric.

It will of course be understood that while all of the gage sections I I as applied to the diiferent garment pieces, have been shown as being of the same contour, these sections need only be of the same contour and size on associated garment parts, and may be varied as to size on other associated garment parts, and in fact, varied as to contour.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a garment pattern, a gage section of irregular outline, said section being arranged at a predetermined distance from one end of the pat- 1 tern, said gage section being removable from the pattern sheet to form an opening in the pattern to render the design of a fabric upon which the pattern is laid for cutting visible through said opening, and the opening together with said gage section facilitating proper alinement of the pattern with the design of the fabric.

2. An elongated pattern strip having a series of garment pattern pieces arranged longitudinally thereof, predetermined associated pattern pieces having markings thereon at equal distances from corresponding ends thereof, said markings defining removable sections 0f similar irregular contour on said associated pattern pieces, and said removable sections comprising interchangeable gage means adapted for the recording of points of alinement between a fabric design and one of said associated pattern pieces and subsequent transferring of said points of alinement to another of said associated pattern pieces thereby facilitating proper alinement of the fabric therewith.

said pattern pieces, and said gage sections being removable and interchangeable on the respective pattern pieces in alining one pattern piece on a characterized fabric to match the lay out of the 5 other pattern piece of the `same fabric.

HENRY B. DONNING. 

